


Red Velvet

by pizZiCcato



Series: MuraHimu Week 2015 [3]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Confessions, Day 3 entry, Developing Relationship, Flashbacks, Gen, M/M, Memories, MuraHimu Week 2015, Pre-Slash, Red Velvet Cake
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-28
Updated: 2015-10-28
Packaged: 2018-04-28 15:19:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5095517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pizZiCcato/pseuds/pizZiCcato
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tatsuya comes to Atsushi's pastry shop later than anyone else. Atsushi always saves him a red velvet cake, because he seemed to really like those.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Red Velvet

**Author's Note:**

> Day 3: Red Velvet Cake (10/28)
> 
> Confessions  
>  Memories

There’s little in this world that Murasakibara Atsushi likes as much as sweets, so it didn’t really come as a surprise to anyone when he decided to open a pastry shop shortly after graduating. If there was anything surprising, it would be how he chose not to hire anyone to work for him, so he had to make the pastries _and_ serve the customers.

Of course, Atsushi would want to avoid having to socialize it he could, but more than that, he didn’t want to have strangers walking around his shop so freely, so he decided to do everything himself.

Fortunately for him, it all worked out in his favor in the end.

***

The bell above the door jingled, signaling a customer’s entry. Atsushi didn’t recognize the footsteps. He looked up. A woman he had never seen before was approaching the counter with a sunny smile on her face. “Welcome,” Atsushi greeted automatically.

His customer nodded. “Hello. Can I have a black forest cake to go?”

Atsushi didn’t reply, silently taking one of the black forest cakes and putting it in a box. He then waited to see if she wanted anything else.

She looked over the available pastries. “Is that a red velvet? Can I have that?”

Atsushi’s eyes widened by a fraction. “No, that’s reserved,” he said, maybe a little too quickly. Fortunately for him, his customer didn’t seem to mind.

“That’s too bad… Then, that will be all. Thank you.”

A few minutes later, she was out of the shop and Atsushi returned to waiting. He didn’t have to wait long, though.

The bell jingled again. Atsushi recognized the following footsteps and looked up with more spirit than before. “Welcome.”

A dark-haired man entered, tiredness shown in the eye not hidden by his hair, but his smile was warm as ever. Himuro Tatsuya, one of Atsushi’s regular customers, and one of the few people Atsushi felt comfortable enough to call his friend.

“Good evening, Atsushi.” Tatsuya approached the counter. “Do you have any red velvet left?”

Atsushi started preparing the red velvet on a plate. “You seem tired,” he commented.

Tatsuya exhaled a short laugh. “It’s been a rather tiring day,” he dug in his coat for his wallet, “but your pastries never fail to make my mood better.”

Atsushi scoffed as he pushed the cake toward Tatsuya. “You’re embarrassing.”

Tatsuya, ever the polite one, laughed. “Thank you.”

***

_The shop was running as usual that evening. There usually aren’t that many customers this late, but for whatever reason, Atsushi felt like keeping the place open for a little longer that night._

_In the future, he’d wonder briefly how things would turn out if he hadn’t done that._

_The bell above the door jingled right when Atsushi was contemplating whether he should close the shop for the night. Then a voice rang out, “Finally, a shop that’s still open!”_

_Atsushi looked up at the source of that voice. He was met with a smile that would’ve made girls swoon. It kind of reminded him of Kise, except this person didn’t seem to be quite as sunny. Besides, this guy’s hair is black and longer than Kise’s, even hiding his left eye._

_“Good evening. Do you have any red velvet cake left?”_

_Atsushi blinked. That man had somehow closed the distance between them in the short period of time Atsushi spent thinking. “Oh. Yeah, wait a sec.” That was probably the first time Atsushi spoke to his customers, not counting when he told them the price for their purchase._

_That man’s smile widened. “Thank you.”_

***

Tatsuya walked to one of the few tables in the shop, followed closely by Atsushi. They sat together in silence. Atsushi watched as Tatsuya started eating, a smile tugging at his lips when he saw Tatsuya’s contented look.

“You should teach me how to make these sometime, Atsushi,” Tatsuya said, “They’re by far the most delicious things I’ve ever tasted.”

“No way.” _If I do that, you won’t have to come here anymore. I might never see you again._

Tatsuya faked disappointment. “Why not? I can even help you out here if you want.”

Atsushi tried imagining that: Tatsuya working with him, getting to see Tatsuya when he works; and found that he quite liked that. But admitting it would be embarrassing, so Atsushi said, “No need. You’ve got enough work to do, I’m sure, because you always come here later than anyone else.”

“But it’d be nice, wouldn’t it?”

Atsushi found no reason to lie. “Yeah.”

***

_“My name is Himuro Tatsuya,” that man had said after paying Atsushi for the red velvet. “What’s yours?”_

_Atsushi narrowed his eyes on Tatsuya. What does this guy want? “Murasakibara Atsushi,” he answered nonetheless, because he found no reason not to._

_Tatsuya’s smile seemed strangely self-satisfied. “Nice to meet you, Atsushi. Thank you for your service.” He took his plate of red velvet and walked toward one of the tables, silently taking a seat. He then took a piece out of the cake, and Atsushi could see him going still after tasting it._

_Tatsuya slowly turned toward Atsushi. “Atsushi,” he said around a mouthful of cake, “Has anyone ever told you how delicious this thing is?”_

_Atsushi blinked. His friends had told him that before, but he hadn’t gotten to see them recently and his customers usually buy his pastries to eat somewhere else, so it’s been a while since he last heard anyone praise his creations. “I haven’t heard that in a while.”_

_“Well,” Tatsuya gave him a bright smile, “This is delicious. I’d eat this everyday if I can.”_

_“You can come again anytime,” Atsushi found himself saying before he could stop himself._

_Tatsuya put on a thinking face. “Only if you’re willing to be my friend.” He grinned at Atsushi._

_That was how Atsushi found himself with a new friend._

***

“Do you want anything else, Muro-chin?”

Tatsuya laughed. “My paycheck can barely afford one of your cakes every week, Atsushi. Do you have any idea how expensive your pastries are? I still have to pay the bills, you know.”

Hmm. Atsushi hadn’t really thought about that. “Then it’s my treat. Do you want anything?”

“Oh, no, no, I can’t possibly –“

“We’re friends, right? It’s fine.” Atsushi looked at Tatsuya, daring him to argue.

After a moment, Tatsuya sighed. “Alright then, since you insisted. I saw that you’d given me the last red velvet, so I’ll take anything you give me.”

Atsushi smiled, satisfied.

***

_“You remind me of someone I knew, Atsushi.”_

_Atsushi tilted his head. “Eh, who is it?”_

_Tatsuya’s smile turned slightly gloomy. “My brother.”_

_“What was he like?”_

_Tatsuya played with the fork in between his fingers. “He’s hot-headed. Probably would dive headfirst into danger if I wasn’t around to keep him in check, but he’s a nice guy.”_

_Atsushi frowned. “What part of me is like that?”_

_A laugh from Tatsuya. “You’re both amazing when it comes to food. But he’s not too interested in pastries, so that part of you is different.”_

_“Where is he now?” Atsushi wasn’t really all that interested, but he felt that asking would be right._

_Silence. Then, “I don’t know.”_

***

Atsushi watched as Tatsuya happily ate the tiramisu he gave him. “Muro-chin,” he called, “Why are you so interested in red velvets?”

Tatsuya froze. That must’ve struck a wrong chord. Tatsuya silently lowered his fork. “Remember my brother? The one I told you about some time ago?”

Atsushi nodded. Of course he remembered, because that was the first time he saw Tatsuya’s gloomy look.

A sad smile found its way to Tatsuya’s face. “The first pastry he ever managed to make successfully was a red velvet cake. He looked ecstatic when he finally succeeded, because it took him so many tries.”

“What does it have to do with you?”

Tatsuya lowered his head, casting shadows over his face. “It was also the last thing he made for me before we lost contact.”

Well. Talk about insensitive.

***

_“Did you have any goals in mind when you start this shop, Atsushi?”_

_Atsushi thought about it. To be honest, he didn’t really have any specific goals, he just wanted to do something he enjoyed doing, so that’s what he told Tatsuya._

_Tatsuya gave a small laugh, as if expecting that answer. “I see. I had a feeling it’s something like that.”_

_“Why did you ask?”_

_Tatsuya smiled. “Because I had a feeling that you put more thought into your pastries than some people might assume. That must be because you really like sweets.”_

_Atsushi snorted, fighting back the blush threatening to creep on his face. “You’re weird, Muro-chin.”_

_Tatsuya laughed. Atsushi felt warm._

***

“Muro-chin,” Atsushi called, “If a guy told you that he likes you, would you be weirded out?”

Tatsuya blinked in surprise. “Did anyone confess to you?”

Atsushi gave Tatsuya a stunned look. “What? Of course not, do you think anyone would be interested in me?”

Tatsuya grinned. “You’re plenty interesting enough as a person, Atsushi. I wouldn’t be surprised if that had happened.”

Atsushi flushed red in seconds. “No, that didn’t happen. Now answer the question.”

Tatsuya laughed softly, then hummed as he thought. “Hmm. I don’t know, because guys and girls are pretty much the same, don’t you think? So having a guy like you isn’t too different from a girl. At least that’s what I think.”

Atsushi pressed down the rising feeling of elation in his chest. “I see.” He was half-tempted to tell Tatsuya right then and there that he _thinks_ he might actually like him, but he had a feeling that it would be too soon, so he decided to wait, just a little longer.

Besides, they still have many more days to come.

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't know what I was going to do for this entry until about 9 a.m. today. Two of my closest female friends tried helping by giving me ideas of possible plots, but their ideas are too complicated for me to finish in one day, so in the end, I didn't really use their ideas.  
> Speaking of which, today is one of the girls' birthday. Happy birthday, Tachi. May Syo always be with you (lol).


End file.
